Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-16
NEW YORK, April Ii,

NEW YORK, April 10
IL would surprise the practical man. who es-
teens i've hundred dollar set OF china dishes
LOT MS table an extravagant luxury, II he knew
the immense sums that certain New Workers
spend every year in fine pottery porcelains and
stoneware which have no practical utility. A
gentleman who is far from being millionaire
called last week at one of the stores In the
vicinity OF Union Square where choice porce-
lains, pottery, &C., are sold, and saw a pair OF
plaques decorated with lilies. He asked the price
and when told that the pair could be purchased
Tor s., 900 he wrote out his check with feverisb
haste, as II he feared rival would get the treas
ureS- A practical man, not ENJOYING the taste OF
a collector, would have deemed $40 high price
Tor them
COLLECTORS INCREASING IN NUMBER.
Previous to the Centennial there were practi-
cally no collectors In this country. Now New
York has scores Of them, fifteen OF whom are OF
vide reputation, and half dozen dealers do a
driving business In catering to them Collectors
Oh pottery, porceiains, bronzes, ivories and cut
glass are yearly becoming more numerous In New
YORK, and many very intelligent collectors In the
large western cities spring1ng into promf-
hence In the cultivation OF this hobby America
bids fair TO SurpasS the rest OF the world. The
taste once formed, the devOJee to old ware has a
degree OF enthusiasm known In no other line OF
luxury. Nor is the enjoyment OF the "keramic
craze" as the novice calls 1t, a waSteful luxury.
An intelligent collector who meets with reverse
OF fortune can sell his treasures for more than
they cost him Many pieces of Chinese and jap
aneSe ware which cost 500 each have been sold
Tor 5000 or more
JAPANESE ART TREASURES
When the feudal system was abolished In Japan
IN ISL the ar1Stocracy were forced TO part with
their art treasures, the sale of which saved many
of them from absolute want. Diplomats and
American residents In China and Japan are very
apt TO become collectors, and the purchases they
have made and thrown upon The American market,
from necessity or as a speculation, have helped
start the keramic craze here. The Chinese, ike
40 ar1afa
the former have produced nothing highly valued
Dy collectors since 1900. In the Ming dynasty,
when the Chinese emperor kept his potters,
with whom time and money was no object they
produced ware which many a collector would now
give his fortune TO possess. 1t was during this
dynasty that the famous peach-blOw vase was
made Occasionally distinguished Chinaman
or japanese brings over a choice specimen, but
most OF the rare objects are sent over by i'm
porterS.
BRONZE AND CHINA
few wealthy New Workers make speciality of
bronZeS. France furnishes some splendid ex-
amples Of modern subjects, and the Russians are
noted for their bronze animal pieces, that are
marvellous as 10 details. An importer showed the
writer a Russian bronze representing a herd of
Russian horses, and valued at 600 To the novice
who could more readily appreciate the object than
5000 the bronze seemed the more valuable object.
They are now making some fine brones In New
IoTk, one OF which IS the statue OF GARFIELD, to be
erected IN Washington America is turning out
some fine potterieS and pOrcelainS, too, and one
or collecting American specimens. The choicest
examples, however, come from abroad. In certain
lines OF cut glass American makers are beginning
10 cater 20 collectors although they have not as
yet mastered The art OF turning out the best
'-Stem goods" such as gObletS and champagne
glasses New York cut-glaSS collector has just
PAID 5000 for set OF champagne glasses cut in
the new spiral style, showing timely carved
flowers twin1ng about the glass Like vines about a
tree.
The dealers in choice china and glass are very
particular 10 employ clerks With steady nerves,
but once in a while accident will occur. Last
which looked ike a very ordinary affair, but IL
was valued at s., 900, and the accident cost the
nrIn an amount equal 10 the clerks salary for two
years
AMONG THE NEW YORK COLLECTORS
OF keramicS is Mr. Chas. A. Dana, OF the Sun; Mr..
Brayton Ives, the banker; James f. sutton, presi-
dent Of the American Art Association; Robert
Hoe jr-, the printing press manufacturer, who has
some rare porcelains; IT, q. Havemeyer, the sugar
man, who ranks high a collector OF pOrcelainS
and japanese pottery, and VIM Rockefeller, OF the
standard OH Co., whose pOrcelainS and paintings
are OF great value. The number of lawyers who
have become collectors is large, among them being
j. W. Cadwalader and ). l.. NJ Barlow. Among
the physicians Dr. Lee is famous for his collection
OF rare worries and III. r Bishop thecapitaliSt, Is
celebrated for his brOlZeS.
chicago has more collectors than any western
city, and Baltimore and Boston rank next TO New
YORK Dickens once wrote very interesting pun
for one OF the English manufacturers of pottery
branch house in New York has republiShed it for
distribution among their customers.
In the line OF collectors OF curious treasures none
was more peculiar than rich old bachelor OF Nor
walk, ohio, who used TO send TO New York and buy
shoes and slippers OF rare and costly pattern.
He was said, at the time OF his death, not long
ago. 10 have the rareSt collection of footwear in
America AMOS j. CUMMINGS.